"Black Out" is the third episode of Batman Beyond. It introduces the villainess Inque. While investigating a number of "accidents" at the company Foxteca, Terry encounters a polymorph who is able to pummel Batman with relative ease. Terry, being quite inexperienced, has to learn to "think on his feet" to beat his first major rogue.

Contents

Plot

Inque's sabotaging trick.

A lone truck drives up to a building owned by Foxteca and things seem quiet. Suddenly, a strange black blob soon slips out from the shadows and sneaks into the main control room. The blob forces its way into the controls and causes several explosions throughout the building. When the fire department arrives, the blob manages to escape in one of the trucks.

That morning, Bruce heads over to see Derek Powers, who greets him but smoothly hides the files on his desk, asking Bruce not to touch a black statue in his office. Bruce says that he isn't there to take full control of Wayne-Powers, but warns Powers to stay off the back of Foxteca, a business owned by Lucius Fox, Jr.. After Bruce leaves, the statue turns into Inque, and she expresses concern that he is snooping. Powers dismisses her concerns, saying Bruce is just a tired old man.

Night once again falls over Gotham and Terry and Dana are watching a game at high school. Unfortunately, Terry is called away on business: Inque is going after another Foxteca building. As Terry heads over, Bruce is busy analyzing a sample of Inque. He explains that Foxteca and Wayne-Powers have submitted competing bids to build a new lunar station for the government. Batman goes in to investigate and Inque attacks him. With her shape-shifting abilities Inque is easily able to stop Batman and escape.

Terry confronts Bruce with the fact that he doesn't know much about crime-fighting, beginning with the fact that he doesn't know what half the memorabilia in the Batcave is. Bruce dismisses him and explains that Inque is the result of a mutagenic experiment, and now works as an industrial saboteur-for-hire, but agrees to give Terry a boost, and puts him in the cockpit of a new Batmobile with flying capabilities.

Out at the Gotham Docks, Pier 18, Inque is at it again. However, before she can do much damage, Batman intervenes.

Inque makes a run for it.

Inque tries to run but she is caught and confronted. Angered, she attacks and once again proves to be too strong a fighter, both managing to send back batarangs and pummel Batman. However, during the fight, Batman learns that Inque is afraid to go near water. This is still of little use to him and she beats him anyway.

Morning once again comes over Gotham and Inque confers with Powers in his limousine. She confesses that Foxteca is still meeting its schedule, but claims it's not her fault: A man in a black and red costume has been interfering. Hearing this, Powers, deducing from the description that Batman had been responsible for preventing Foxteca's sabotage, becomes angry and his fake skin starts to flake away. He assigns Inque a new task: kill both Batman and his accomplice.

That night, Batman investigates another sabotaged building, but Inque sneaks onto the Batmobile by layering herself on the outer surface. When Batman returns to the Batcave, Bruce realizes that the car is heaver than it should be; Inque emerges and attacks, slamming Batman against the floor and ceiling of the cave. She then forces herself down his throat, nearly killing him.

However, Bruce attacks her with a fire hose, disguising himself in the Gray Ghost's costume.

Inque revives and tries to head upstairs but Bruce blocks her way with an electrified steel door. She moves to the ceiling and causes the roof to collapse. She also tries to crush her two enemies using Bruce's giant penny. Batman continues to fight her but is trapped and cannot do her much harm. However, before Inque can attack Batman gets hold of Mr. Freeze's gun and fires it on her. Inque is frozen and shatters into pieces.

Later, Commissioner Barbara Gordon gets a call from Bruce and she notes that he's got a new Batman. She then looks out the window to see the "get acquainted gift" Batman left her. It's the pieces of Inque bagged in plastic, trapped in the ice. Though shattered, Inque's eye moves towards the Batmobile that flies past Barbara's window.

Background information

Home video releases

Trivia

This episode won an Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production.[1]

Inque proves to be the new Batman's most persistent enemy, confronting him even more often than Derek Powers as Blight.

This is the first episode to show the older version of Barbara Gordon.

Inque seems to know where the entrance to the Batcave is, as Terry later prepares for her possible return in "Disappearing Inque". Although Bruce does mention in that episode how it was dark and the Batmobile goes very fast, Inque might still have seen how the cave is beneath Wayne Manor, one of the most established estates in Gotham City. However, she doesn't appear to make the connection between Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Inque: Not quite the fast learner, are you?Batman: You don't like the water, do you?

Powers: This better be good. What happened?Inque: Someone's been interfering, and this is the second time.Powers: Who?Inque: I don't know. He wore a costume. Black and red.Powers:(As his skin begins to peel off.) Batman!Inque:The Batman?Powers: What difference does it make!?Inque:(Noticing his face falling apart.) What's happening to you?Powers: I have a condition. I trust you'll be discreet. I'm sending you on a new assignment: find this Batman and kill him.Inque: He has an accomplice. I heard him speak with someone over a radio.Powers: Then do them both. I'll pay you whatever you want.Inque: No wonder I like working for you.Powers: Now I suggest you leave. It's not healthy to be around me when I'm shedding.